News: Dean Adkins announced as finalist at the British Forces in Business Awards 2026

Dean Adkins, Owner and Managing Director, has been named a finalist in the Entrepreneur of the Year category at the British Forces in Business Awards 2026.

Posted: 19 May 2026

We are pleased to share that Dean Adkins, Managing Director of Selway Joyce, has been shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year at the 2026 British Forces in Business Awards.

The awards recognise the achievements of veterans, reservists and members of the Armed Forces community who have gone on to build successful civilian careers and make a meaningful contribution to business. This year’s shortlist follows a record-breaking nominations cycle, making the recognition particularly significant.

For Dean, the nomination is both a personal milestone and a reflection of Selway Joyce’s continued progress as the business approaches its 70th anniversary.

Dean’s route into business has been anything but conventional. He joined the British Army in 2005, serving with The Royal Welsh Regiment and completing operational tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. After being injured during a reconnaissance mission, Dean left the Armed Forces in 2012 and began building a new career in construction.

That transition from military service into civilian life was not a simple change of direction. Dean worked full-time as a project manager while continuing his academic and professional development, later completing an engineering degree at London South Bank University, an NVQ Level 7 in Construction Project and Commercial Management, and an MBA at Warwick Business School.

In 2019, Dean founded his own construction consultancy. Four years later, he sourced private investment and negotiated the acquisition of Selway Joyce, a long-established consultancy that had previously been a direct competitor.

Since acquiring the business in 2023, Dean has led Selway Joyce through a period of growth, renewed focus and wider recognition across the high-end construction sector. Founded in 1957, Selway Joyce now operates from Winchester, London, Manchester and Nice, France, providing quantity surveying, project management, building surveying and related consultancy services across prime residential, heritage, education, luxury hospitality and commercial projects.

The consultancy also has deep roots in Winchester and the surrounding area. Its work has included projects connected to Winchester Cathedral, Winchester College and the University of Winchester, alongside private residential, education, heritage and commercial schemes across Hampshire and beyond.

Dean said:

It is a tremendous honour to be a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year at the British Forces in Business Awards. 

Serving within an infantry regiment in the Armed Forces instils qualities that naturally carry into entrepreneurship and leadership, qualities like resilience, innovation, discipline, and the ability to lead through uncertainty. I had the privilege of serving alongside and leading remarkable people, many of whom have gone on to achieve incredible success across business and industry. 

To be recognised amongst such an exceptional community is both humbling and deeply meaningful.

The 2026 British Forces in Business Awards Gala will take place at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London, on 25 June. The evening will be hosted by ITV News anchor Nina Hossain, with Bear Grylls OBE and four-time Paralympic gold medallist Jaco van Gass OBE among the headline guests.

Congratulations, Dean.

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